Bennet, Padilla, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day

About About Michael Legislation News Press Releases Social Media Newsletter Archive Services Priorities Top Issues Child Tax Credit Investing in Colorado Contact Map Español Acerca de Michael Escribe a Michael Prioridades Servicios Visitando D.C. Bennet, Padilla, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and 26 Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” […] Aug 10, 2026 | Press Releases Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and 26 Senate colleagues to demand the Trump administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act ’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits large-scale voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Trump Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts. In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, the senators reminded the Trump administration to adhere to the law and refrain from supporting, assisting, or coercing states into conducting mass voter purges prior to the November midterm elections. The Trump administration has demanded voter information from all 50 states, losing 20 lawsuits and counting in the process, and a separate court has barred it from misusing federal databases in illegal attempts to remove voters from state voter rolls. In July, President Trump and Secretary Mullin escalated these attacks as part of their ongoing efforts to force states to purge voters ahead of the November general election in a presidential speech and subsequent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference. The letter copies the chief election officers for all 50 states. “We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90 day ‘quiet period’ mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). Under the NVRA, election officials are supposed to complete any program for ‘systematically’ removing ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be (and in many cases have been) removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities,” wrote the senators. The senators warned that federal courts have ruled against mass voter purges conducted in violation of the NVRA’s “quiet period.” “In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the ‘quiet period,’ including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters. Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment,” continued the senators. The senators reiterated that use of the DHS’ modified SAVE program, already blocked by federal courts for bulk voter list analysis purposes, would be considered illegal activity in the next 90 days, and condemned Mullin’s continued push to advance the program. They also urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to abandon any efforts to obtain state voter rolls, highlighting the agency has lost every federal court case so far. “We must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the ‘quiet period’ are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings. The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls,” concluded the senators. The senators requested the agencies provide confirmation that they will comply with the NVRA by August 7 to prevent any voter suppression prior to Election Day. Bennet has consistently fought against blatant efforts from the Trump Administration and Republicans to undermine federal elections. In May 2026, Bennet released a statement following the release of the U.S. Postal Service’s proposed